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''And then I heard that was all bullshit because... what?''

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POPE PACED BACK and forth, his face flushed and his fists clenched at his sides. I stayed quiet, leaning against the wall of the shabby living room, watching the storm brew.

''I said it. I said it again and again,'' Pope started, his voice rising with each word. ''I said don't touch the last of our nugget. That was it. That was the last of our savings. Do you not care?''

JJ, sitting slouched on the couch, threw up his hands in frustration. ''Pope, you saw what happened, man. He stole it. Okay? He cheated and he stole it. That's not my fault.''

''Do you know how selfish you sound?'' Pope demanded, his brows furrowed in disbelief.

JJ sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing. ''I sound selfish? I was trying to help us!''

''You helped us,'' Pope shot back. ''You just cost us everything. Thank you.'' He crossed his arms, his gaze like daggers aimed at JJ.

Kie, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke up. ''JJ, why are you making it sound like you had nothing to do with it?''

JJ looked at her. ''Okay, Kie, Kie. You know me, all right? I was gonna bet it all. That's who I am.''

''You should've talked to us first,'' she countered, shaking her head. ''It was too risky this time.''

Pope turned his attention to John B. ''And what were you doing? You knew he had it, and you just let him race?''

John B held up his hands like he was trying to fend off the blame. ''He told me last minute, all right?''

''John B, look, man, you were supposed to cover—''

''I did cover!'' John B interrupted, his voice rising to match Pope's.

The two of them started shouting over each other, their words blending into an indecipherable mess. JJ joined in, adding his own defensive jabs to the argument.

''Hey, enough!'' Cleo's voice rang out. Her stern tone froze everyone in place. ''How bad is it, Pope?''

Pope took a deep breath, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself. ''How bad is it?'' he repeated. ''We have a $13,000 property tax payment due in seven days. And we have zero working capital. There is nothing. And you took the last of our savings. So thank you.''

With that, Pope stormed out, the screen door slamming behind him. The sound echoed through the quiet room.

Nobody moved for a moment.

''We really screwed up this time,'' I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

''No kidding,'' Kie replied, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

We eventually shuffled inside, the mood sombre. The living room felt even smaller than usual, the air stifling despite the faint breeze coming through the open window. Kie perched on the edge of the couch, her eyes glued to the laptop.

''Wait. You guys,'' she said suddenly, sitting up straighter.

''What?'' Sarah asked, her brows knitting together.

Kie's eyes widened as she turned the laptop screen toward us. ''Holy shit. They... they wrote about us.''

JJ tilted his head. ''What?''

''The Outer Banks Sentinel wrote about us,'' Kie clarified, her voice rising with excitement.

The rest of us crowded around the couch.

'''The extraordinary discovery made by the young adventurers has validated the existence of the City of Gold','' Kie read aloud.

''Oh, my God!'' Sarah exclaimed, leaning over Kie's shoulder.

''That's my name!'' JJ added, pointing at the screen with a grin.

''We're famous!''

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE BOAT ROCKED gently as we neared Goat Island. The island loomed ahead, shrouded in thick green foliage.

Kie leaned forward, gripping the edge of the boat with both hands as she turned to face us. ''Do you guys know anybody that's been here?'' she asked, her brows knitted together. ''Cause I don't.''

JJ, lounging at the bow, shrugged casually. ''Nope.''

Pope looked thoughtful for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Sarah. ''Hey, Sarah, you must know somebody who's been here, right?'' He hesitated before continuing, ''I mean, like, all Kooks, they... they know each other. They go to the same parties.''

Sarah shot him a sharp look. ''Are you kidding me? You've heard the rumours, right?''

''Oh, yeah,'' JJ interjected, sitting up a little. ''About the daughter. I mean, that she drowned with her baby? That's what I heard.''

''I heard that too,'' Kie added. ''But I heard that she was possessed first or something.''

''And then I heard that was all bullshit because... what?'' Pope chimed in.

Cleo, sitting next to me, crossed her arms and leaned back slightly. ''Okay, why are we doing this again?'' she asked.

''We need the money,'' Pope and Sarah answered in unison.

Pope gestured toward the island. ''This place has been around for 200 years, and they still don't have a road that doesn't go underwater twice a day.''

The boat slowed as John B navigated it toward the dock. The weathered planks looked as if they could give out at any moment. Standing on the dock was a man in dirty overalls, a shovel resting on his shoulder.

''You check in, and you don't check out,'' Kie muttered ominously under her breath.

John B expertly pulled up alongside the dock, and JJ and Pope moved quickly to tie it off. JJ hopped out first, grinning as he greeted the man. ''Afternoon, sir.''

Pope handed the man the rope, and he took it without a word, his eyes flickering over each of us like he was sizing us up. ''Welcome to Blackstone,'' he said.

We clambered out one by one, John B offering a hand to both Sarah and me. 

The man turned and started leading us up the dock toward the main property. The sound of our footsteps on the worn wood echoed in the silence.

''So, uh, what have you been digging?'' JJ asked, gesturing toward the shovel.

''Ditches,'' the man replied flatly.

JJ raised an eyebrow. ''Ditches,'' he echoed.

''At least it's not graves,'' Kie muttered, trying to lighten the mood.

The man glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. ''All the same to me,'' he responded cryptically.

Kie's frown deepened. ''What?''

''Why would he say that?'' Pope whispered, his unease evident in the way his shoulders stiffened.

John B cleared his throat. ''Uh, so how long have you been working for Mr. Genrette?''

The man didn't break stride as he answered, ''As long as I can remember.''

We followed him up a flight of creaky wooden stairs that led to a sprawling, dilapidated house. It looked like it had been plucked straight from a horror movie, with peeling paint and a front porch that sagged under its own weight.

The man stopped abruptly and pointed toward the house. ''There.''

''Okay, thank you,'' JJ responded, taking the lead. He bounded up the steps and grabbed the brass door knocker, rapping it a few times. ''Hello! Anyone home?''

When no one answered, he knocked again, this time louder. ''Hello, anyone home? Maybe?'' He glanced back at us with a smirk. ''Oh, just a little quick FYI: they drug you before they chop you up. So don't eat or drink anything.''

Cleo rolled her eyes, her arms still crossed. ''Not funny.''

I leaned closer to her and whispered, ''It actually was slightly funny.''

Sarah, standing beside me, shifted nervously. ''Yeah, guys, I think I've changed my mind about this one.''

Kie rubbed her arms as if warding off a chill. ''I... I really don't wanna be here.''

''Can we go?'' Sarah asked, her voice trembling slightly.

I didn't blame her. The house, with its crumbling grandeur, didn't exactly scream welcoming.

''I admit, the risk-reward is very off,'' Pope remarked, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

''I do agree with Pope,'' I added, folding my arms across my chest. 

JJ, who had been pacing slightly, suddenly stopped, his head tilting toward the door. ''Hey, someone's coming,'' he warned, stepping back to join us.

The door creaked open, and a man emerged with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

''Hi,'' he greeted, his gaze sweeping over us. ''I'm sorry to keep you waiting. It's quite a big house, and I'm... I'm afraid the servants have all gone. All except, uh, good old Demp.'' He gestured toward the man who had led us there. ''I just can't seem to get rid of him.'' His laugh was dry, almost forced. ''Uh, you must be the... the Pogues. The Great Seekers.''

''Yeah, I... I don't know about that,'' John B muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

''Oh, now, don't you be modest,'' the man countered with a grin. ''I've read of your adventures. It's quite thrilling.'' He stepped back, motioning for us to enter. ''Uh, come in, come in. I... I'm the son-in-law. Chandler Groff. Wes was really, really hoping you'd show. He's been waiting.''

JJ, always quick to take the lead, stepped forward and extended his hand. ''Yeah. Pleasure. JJ.''

Chandler shook his hand firmly, patting JJ's back as he passed. I followed JJ without hesitation, ignoring the sense of dread prickling at the back of my neck. The others lingered outside for a moment before reluctantly filing in behind us.

''Just, uh...'' JJ began, glancing toward Chandler for guidance.

''Just right in the next room,'' Chandler instructed, waving him along.

''Okay,'' JJ replied, moving toward the indicated room.

''This place smells like dead bodies,'' John B whispered under his breath, leaning closer to me.

''Wow, that's such a nice thing to say,'' I whispered back, smacking his upper arm lightly.

Chandler disappeared into the next room, his voice echoing as he called out, ''Wes, they've come.''

From somewhere beyond, an older voice responded. ''Oh, good. Good, bring them in.''

We moved as a group, stepping cautiously into the next room. Wes, a frail-looking man with piercing eyes, sat near the hearth. 

''Come in, please, please,'' he urged, motioning us closer. ''Warm yourselves by the fire. Good to see you.''

Cleo wandered toward a side table, her finger brushing over a dusty lampshade. She grimaced, holding up her hand. ''Ew,'' she muttered, shaking the dust off her finger.

Wes watched us intently as we settled in. ''I... I apologise for dragging you all out here, but I... I don't think I could speak about this in public,'' he began. ''I know I mentioned Blackbeard, but I assure you all, my interest is not for treasure. My ancestor, Francis Genrette, was the British officer who caught and killed the notorious pirate.''

''Wait,'' Pope interjected, his brow furrowing. ''Your... your direct ancestor?''

Wes nodded solemnly. ''Mm-hmm. Yes, unfortunately. After he'd beheaded Blackbeard, he killed the pirate's wife, Elizabeth. And since then, for 300 years, generations of Genrettes have been haunted by Elizabeth's ghost and have died violent deaths, including my daughter.''

The air in the room seemed to grow colder at his words. I exchanged a glance with JJ.

''Larissa, Chandler's wife,'' Wes continued, his voice cracking slightly. ''My daughter saw Elizabeth a week before she died. Now... I've had a visitation. So I know I don't have much time.''

We all shared uneasy looks, the gravity of his words sinking in.

''Right,'' John B began. ''Uh... so we're really sorry that that happened to you, but what do you want from us?''

Wes's expression shifted. ''Of course, you're right. Let's get down to business. Chandler,'' he called out, gesturing for his son-in-law to step forward.

''We believe that we've found a way to break the curse on this family,'' Chandler began, his tone almost reverent as he gestured to the portrait of Elizabeth. ''Right before she was murdered, Elizabeth begged Francis to retrieve from her husband's ship a keepsake that he'd given her. Her most prized possession.''

My eyes followed his gesture to the necklace adorning Elizabeth's painted figure. It glinted in the firelight.

''An amulet,'' he clarified. ''He denied the request and then murdered her.''

Wes chimed in, his voice shaking with conviction. ''But if we find that amulet, fulfilling Elizabeth's last request, I believe that it will break the curse that has haunted my family for over 300 years.''

We exchanged wary glances. I noticed Kie tilt her head.

''Okay. Um... I'm sorry. Where did you say that the necklace thingy was?'' Kie asked.

Chandler chuckled, though the sound didn't carry any real warmth. ''Blackbeard's last ship, the Adventurer.''

''Perfect,'' Kie quipped, crossing her arms.

''According to all records, the amulet was still on it when it was scuttled right off Goat Island,'' Chandler explained.

Pope frowned. ''Right, yeah, but the Coast Guard excavated that site years ago.''

''The excavation team didn't know what we know,'' Wes interjected, stepping forward with an old, leather-bound book. He opened it carefully and handed it to Pope, who took it hesitantly. ''They didn't have this. There's a secret location hidden behind the headboard in the captain's chamber.''

''Do you dive?'' Wes asked, looking between us.

JJ jumped at the chance. ''We dive. All... all of us do.''

His tone made me raise an eyebrow, but I let it slide.

''It's just, we only do it if the price is right,'' JJ added.

''Excellent,'' Wes said, his thin smile growing. ''We are prepared to offer you a premium for your services. Fifty thousand, plus expenses. Five thousand upfront. And we would very much like your immediate answer.''

JJ looked ready to seal the deal, but John B clamped a hand over his mouth, muttering something under his breath as the two quietly bickered.

''Uh, we'll just need to think it through,'' Pope interjected quickly.

''We'll be right back,'' John B promised, dragging JJ into the next room. The rest of us followed, and John B shut the double doors behind us.

Sarah turned on us immediately, her voice rising. ''Okay, guys, um... what was that?''

''We have to think,'' Cleo insisted, her arms crossed defensively.

''This is weird,'' Kie chimed in. ''We could just slip out through the back.''

John B threw up his hands in frustration. ''Are we really going to listen to the guy who should be in a padded room? Visitations? Curses?''

''He's a madman,'' Cleo added, her voice blunt.

Sarah shook her head, her expression softening. ''Obviously, he's batshit, but he's in there crying about his daughter. Like, he needs help.''

''He needs psychological help, not an amulet,'' I countered firmly, my arms folded.

''Obviously this guy is nutty,'' Pope agreed. ''We don't even know if anything he's saying is true.''

Kie wasn't convinced, her brow furrowing. ''We cannot ignore the fact that there is a ghost and a curse. Y'all aren't getting a weird-ass vibe?''

Cleo stepped forward. ''Okay. Guys. Let's just say we take this job. Is it even possible?''

''Yes,'' JJ answered immediately, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Cleo rolled her eyes. ''I knew what you would say.'' She glanced around at the rest of us. ''Everybody else?''

''That shipwreck is probably 80 to 100 feet down,'' Pope pointed out. ''The currents are probably ripping.''

''Guys,'' JJ interjected. ''Are we really gonna worry about the details right now?''

''Yes,'' John B and Cleo responded in unison.

''JJ, if we're going to take a job, we need to have a plan with all the details,'' I added, giving him a pointed look.

''That's 100%,'' Pope agreed, nodding firmly.

''Guys,'' JJ raised his voice over the commotion, ''in our time of need, are we gonna turn down free money? No. That's not like us.''

Voices started to overlap as we debated.

''It's not free,'' Kie argued, narrowing her eyes.

''The worst that can happen is we walk out of here with five Gs in our pocket. End of discussion,'' JJ declared, starting toward the door.

''That's not the worst,'' Sarah argued, following after him.

''We can go to jail, get arrested,'' Cleo added.

''We can die,'' I stated bluntly, stepping forward to stop him. ''JJ, bro, stop.''

But JJ ignored us, swinging the doors open with a flourish.

''Sir, we've come to our conclusion, and we'll do it. We'll take the job,'' JJ announced confidently. He pointed to the package in Chandler's hand. ''Now, that initial 5K, is that right there? You can go ahead, fork that over to me.''

''Welcome aboard,'' Chandler replied, letting JJ take the money with a grin.

Before JJ could pocket it, Pope snatched it away. ''Hey, you know what? Actually, I think I'll take this for safekeeping,'' Pope remarked, patting JJ's shoulder.

''All right. Sure,'' JJ shrugged. ''You won't regret this, sir, I promise you. We'll get the job done.''

Chandler stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. ''Hey, JJ,'' he called out. ''I believe in you.''

JJ nodded lingering for a moment before he walked away. ''Thank you.''

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